The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-30

HOulu UCllONb hlhA uONs l4O wan
finally prevailed upon to tell what
they were, and l give you the story in
his own words. The reader must
judge how much OF 1t lie to be be-
lieved:
when | consented TO try and find
a clue TO the robbery made the great
mistake that blighted my life and
doomed me TO fslon's cell. 1t YVES
something that knew but little OF
and / ought to have let Ii alone, but
my evil genius must have stood at my
side and prompted my acceptance Of
the tack. For some days l worked In
the dark, finding nothing that could
recognise as q clue, until one day in
having bill changed was given a
So Foote bill OF Mobile. II was a pc
culiar piece of money and had some
names written on 1t. / examined II
very closely and finally went to the
gentleman who had been robbed and
asked for description OF some OF the
sto en- money. He said therewas only
one piece he could identity and de-
scribed the bill had at that moment
In my pocket. knew then that had
q clue, hut did not tell him 30. / be-
gan tracing the bill back until I finally
traced IL TO a man who denied ever
having had II and when Insisted that
he had had II he became angry and
acted very suspiciously. This occurred
on the day ! had to go to Montgomery,
but before l left got this man in his
Office and boldly accused him of the
robbery. He was 80 startled and tsken
by surprise that he acknowledged hsv-
ing the money In his safe / mGde
him open the safe and / saw the
money, having first promised to ehield
him II he would give up the money.
There ia whers l made another mis-
take, for my lips were sealed. / was
pressed for time 80 / changed the COM
bination on the safe, replaced the
money, locked II up and then went to
Montgomery. While there / drew
from The bank $1,000 / had on deposit,
taking II In four bills OF $1,000 each.
Meeting some friends we drank little
and then went to gambling room,
where won largely, using
one of the bills l had
drawn from the bank In betting and
exposing to view the others. A de-
tective saw them aud Swallowed me
until my return, following me on the
train and leaving Ii when l did at
Eutaw. Finding cut who was he
went of after the necessary papers
and an officer for NV arrest. This
was Saturday night. Unconscious of
any danger was on my way b me
when suddenly / was seized and a
pistol placed against my head. | cav
my captors and knew than to be of
the most desperate men in the county
or in the State. At the muzzle OF the
pistol / was forced to 20 to the safe,
unlock IL and take the money out. l
was told that any cry or attempt to
escape would be the signal for my
death. | was forced to take the
to my house. / was told that
there were others concerned besides
the two who had me under arrest;
that as / had learned the secret 1
should become one Of the party, and
forced to take my share Of the money;
that ] was to keep II until midnight
the next night, when all parties con-
cerned would meet nj my house and
the money would be divided. ] was
assured that II / attempted 10 betray
them would be killed. KNEW only
three OF the men and had no idea
who the Others might be. No one
any Of them, and knew IL
meant my death to betIay them.
did not sleep a wink that night, but
sat raoking my brain for some means
OF escape, but none offered. The ques-
ton with me was which should / sac-
rifice, my life or my honor. / was
young, was just on the eve OF marry
ing the woman | loved, and life was
sweet to me then. Sunday morning
came and was still debating what /
should do when the sheriff and q
stranger came to my house.
/ met them at the door and was told
that was prisoner. Tread the war
rant, and saw at a glance that i was in
most awkward situation. l told
them that had every dollar of that
money in the house, but that / was
perfectly innocent Of any crime, and
asked the Sherih-Albert O. Hill, who
was my cousin, but my most bitter
enemy--to keep my arrest secret,
anu 10 keep me In my room under
strict guard until ~ o'clock that night,
and that he would see that was in
nocent. | begged this as a favor, tell
ing him that II was my only chance to
prove my innocense, but he refused
aud was placed in Jail. knew that
/ was q ruined man; that IL told on
the men who stole the money il would
do no good. l had no proof except
my word, and they were two against
one, and I had sworn TO one Of them
to shield him in order to recover the
money. ALI the circumstances point
ed 10 me as the guilty party, as the
money was found In my poet session,
although proved on the trial that !
was some where else when the money
was stolen. / was convicted Of Teceiv.
ing stolen goods, and sentenced to the
penitentiary for eight years, my time
expiring on June "a, 1887"
He says he has never before told
what was the Combination OF ciIcum
stances" surrounding him at the time
Of his first conviction, and he still de.
clines to give names, but says the man
who was principal in the robbery and
who made him take the money from
the safe to his house lie dead; the
others are still living, he thinks. The
story he tells is a plausible one and
might have occurred as he says it did,
or II may DO the result Of many hours
Of thought given TO the public TO ex
cite sympathy for himself. Whether
it is one OF those peculiar combina
tons of circumstances which MAXI
truth stranger than fiction, or only .
cunningly devised fable, will probably
never be known until the day when
the secrets Of all hearts shall be made
public.
COCAINE, iodoform or merourisls in
any form in the treatment of catarFh